Laser Squad
Platform: Amiga 500
Region: Europe
Media: Floppy
Controller: Mouse/Keyboard
Genre: Strategy - Top Down - Sci-Fi
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1989
Developer: Target Games Limited
Publisher: MicroIllusions
Players: 1 or 2
Licensed from: BLADE Software
Relationship: Based on 1988 Target Games/Blade Software Spectrum release.  An Archimedes version wasn\\\'t released despite being advertised. Also, an unofficial C= Plus 4 port exists
Hardware: OCS
Conversions: Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX 1/2, NEC PC-98, PC (DOS), Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Disks: 1
Programmer: Fred O\\\'Rourke, John Scott (Tubbs)
Musician: Matt Furniss
Designer: Jason Wilson (Spock), Mark Edwards (Tedd), Mark Harrap
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Laser Squad is by the same designer as Microprose's classic X-Com: UFO Defense. It brings to the table an immersive gameplay environment as well as many innovative ideas that weren't available in any other game of the time.

In Laser Squad you control a group of "marine"-like soldiers (and the occasional cyborg). Before taking them into battle, you must buy them weapons and armour with a predetermined amount of credits, taking into account the individual abilities of your squad. Unlike X-COM, the soldiers do not gain experience over time.

There are 3 missions in turn - in The Assassins you must face down Sterner Regnix and his guards, Moonbase assault challenges you to destroy the OmniCorp database, and Rescue From the Mines eschews violence in favour of a rescue mission. These are viewed from above and progress in turns. Laser Squad also features a 2-player "hotseat"-type gaming option.
 
http://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/laser-squad

[1] LASER SQUAD is a sci-fi, turn-based strategy wargame designed by Julian Gollop that expanded on ideas developed in the REBELSTAR game series, released earlier in th9 1980s for 8-bit platforms. Many of the ideas developed in LASER SQUAD were, in turn, utilised in fantasy, turn-based strategy wargame LORDS OF CHAOS (1990/91) and UFO: ENEMY UNKOWN (1994/95), which was originally conceived by Gollop as LASER SQUAD 2. 

[2] Original game concept by Julian Gollop of Target Games. Scenario design assistance by Ian Terry.

[3] While a LASER SQUAD expansion disk containing new missions was released for 8-bit platforms, the Amiga never realised any further missions commercially or otherwise. Unsurprisingly, isometric turn-based wargame LASER SQUAD NEMESIS (2002) did not see an Amiga release either.

http://hol.abime.net/835
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CHEATS:

For fun in Laser Squad, do the Assassins on Level 1. Buy no armor, give the corporal an M4000 with two reloads; the next two rocket launchers with four rockets each; and the last two nothing at all. Deploy in the entrance, in the gap in the outer wall, and take the house to pieces with the rockets, waiting for the droids or Regix to show up. Get them with Jonlan's M4000. I managed to do the scenario with one shot - it went BETWEEN the leaves of the door, blew up against a wall and Regix was on the other side. End of story, fade to black.
